Spring-heel.



I W. KOVAGS.

SPRING HEEL.

APPLIOATION FILED DEO.8.1913.

1 102 343 Patented July 7,1914.

THE NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHQ. WASHINGTON, D, C.

WENIDEL KOVACS, OF BRANTFORD, ONTARIO, CANADA.

SPRING-HEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July *7, 1914:.

Application filed December 8, 1913. Serial No. 805,449.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WVnNnnn Koviios, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Brantford, Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Springlleels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in spring heels, and has for its primary object to provide a simple, cheap and durable spring heel for boots and shoes which will relieve a person of the jar incident to walking when a solid heel is used.

Briefly described, the invention comprises a heel which consists of a hollow upper portion or shell and a lower solid portion or tread which two portions are fixedly secured together. The upper or hollow portion is connected with the shoe or sole of the shoe preferably by means of a flexible skirt, and depending from the shoe sole is a block which telescopes the hollow upper portion of the heel and holds the latter against lat eral or sidewise movement and strain. Interposed between the block and the solid portion of the heel, and inclosed by the hollow portion of such heel, are a pluality of coil springs which at their ends are connected to the block and solid portion of the heel, and which compress under the weight placed upon the heel.

In describing the invention further in do. tail, reference will be had to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment of my invention, and wherein like numerals 0t reterencewill be employed for designating like parts throughout the different views of the drawings, in which Figure 1, is a perspective view of a shoe equipped with a spring heel in accordance with my invention, the heel being partly broken away, and partly in section, Fig. 2, is an enlarged central vertical sectional view of a heel in accordance with this invention, the shoe being broken away, Fig. 3, is a horizontal sectional. view taken on the line 3--3 of F 2, and Fig. l, is a detail perspective view detached, of the flexible attaching skirt for the heel.

The heel proper comprises a hollow upper portion or shell 5, and a solid lower portion or tread 6, the latter usually made of a plurality of layers of leather, and when worn, may be renewed without necessitating renewal of the upper or hollow portion of shoe sole the heel to which it is secured as by nailing or in any desired manner.

Depending from the heel portion of the 7 is a block 8, usually made of leather, and which may be a single piece, or built up of layers like the tread member of the heel. This block telescopes into the hollow upper portion 01"? the heel, and thus affords a means for preventing the lateral or sidewise movement of the heel.

A plurality of coil springs ,9, are interposed between the block 8 and the tread 6 and are connected at their respective ends to said block and tread, and in addition to acting as the cushioning members, also serve as connectors for attaching the heel to the shoe sole. The main attaching means for the heel however consists oil a flexible skirt 10 the lower edge of which overlaps the upper edge of the hollow portion of the heel and is suitably secured thereto in any desired manner. The upper edge of this skirt, along the sides and at the rear of the heel is flanged inwardly, and this flange 1.1, is bound in between the lining 12 and the sole 7 along with the lower edge of the shoe top. At the front of the skirt, the same is slit at the upper corners, and the upper front portion 15 turned out at right :angles to the body oi. the skirt and fixedly secured in any desired manner-o the underneath face of the shoe sole 7 This skirt may be termed of canvas, leather, or any other flexible material which will give or flex under weight placed on the heel, and straighten out as such weight is removed. The springs '9 tend to hold the heel when not under weight separated from the sole 7, and under weight, the springs compress until the hollow upper portion of the heel comes in engagement with the sole. The skirt ctl'ectually closes the space 17 against dirt besides serving as an attaching means for the heel.

l'Vhile I have described in detail a prefer-red embodiment of.my invention, it will be evident that in practice, various changes can be made in the details of construction without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as claimed.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim l. In combination with a shoe sole having a block depending from the heel portion thereof, a heel comprising a shell to receive said block with a sliding fit therebetwecn, and a tread below the shell, a flexible skirt the hollow portion of the heel to the sole, said skirt having a flange conforming to the shape of the heel and a forwardly projecting portion secured to the under side of the sole.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WENDEL KovAos.

Witnesses LOUIS 'Snon, Jozsnr KovAos.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

